The Effects of Long Term Use of Mobile Phones on Human Health

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Effects</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Long</strong> <strong>Term</strong> <strong>Use</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Mobile</strong> <strong>Phones</strong> on Human
Health
Kemal Balikci, I. Cem Ozcan, Dilek Turgut-Balik, Hasan H. Balik *
*Corresponding author: University <strong>of</strong> Firat, Faculty <strong>of</strong> Engineering, Department <strong>of</strong>
Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Elazig, Turkey; Tel: + 90 0424 212 89 70; Fax: + 90
0424 237 00 73; E-mail: balik@firat.edu.tr
ABSTRACT : A survey study was conducted to invesigate the possible effects <strong>of</strong> mobile
phone on headache, dizziness, extreme irritation, shaking in the hands, speaking falteringly,
forgetfulness, neuro-psychological discomfort, increase in the carelessness, decrease <strong>of</strong> the
reflex, clicking sound in the ears, obscuration <strong>of</strong> vision, redness on the eyes, vision disorders,
crust round the eyes, inflammation in the eyes and water round the eyes. <strong>The</strong>re is no effect on
dizzyness, shaking in hands, speaking falteringly, neuro-psychological discomfort, redness on
the eyes and vision disorders, but some statistical evidences are found that mobile phone may
cause headache, extreme irritation, increase in the carelessness, forgetfulness, decrease <strong>of</strong> the
reflex, clicking sound in the ears, obscuration <strong>of</strong> vision, crust round the eyes, inflammation in
the eyes and water round the eyes.
1. INTRODUCTION
In the recent few years, the extensive use <strong>of</strong> mobile phones (MP) raises the question <strong>of</strong>
possible health effects <strong>of</strong> the radio-frequency electromagnetic fields emitted by these phones,
in particular on neural functions because <strong>of</strong> their use in close vicinity to the human brain.
<strong>Mobile</strong> phones operate on wireless technology, with communication typically occuring via a
900-1800 MHz signal that is pulsed at 217 Hz. This signal carries essentially no power when
the user is not talking or receiving, but when the user communicates the power <strong>of</strong> this pulsed
electromagnetic field reaches a maximum <strong>of</strong> 250 mW (Cr<strong>of</strong>t et al., 2002).
<strong>The</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> electromagnetic fields on biological systems have been extensively investigated
over the last years (Gos et al., 2000; Jech et al., 2002; Braune et al., 2002; Cook et al.,
2002). Particular attention has been given to the effects <strong>of</strong> microwave exposure on the central
nervous system (Herman et al., 1997; Cr<strong>of</strong>t et al., 2002; Mauset et al., 2001; Beason et al.,
2002; Hossmann et al., 2003).
In a survey study, some biological effects <strong>of</strong> mobile phones on people living or not in vicinity
<strong>of</strong> mobile phone base station were tested in 530 people (Santini et al., 2002 a). In the study,
non specific health symptoms such as tiredness, headache, sleep disturbance, discomfort,
dizziness, irritability, depression, lose <strong>of</strong> memory, etc. were detected depending on distance
from base station and sex. It was suggested that minimal distance <strong>of</strong> people from mobile
phone base stations should not be < 300 m in view <strong>of</strong> radioprotection.
One another survey study was conducted in 161 students and workers in a French engineering
school on symptoms experienced during use <strong>of</strong> digital cellular phones (Santini et al., 2002 b).
According to the results, concentration difficulties, sleep disturbance, discomfort, warmth,
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and pricking <strong>of</strong> the ear during phone conversation as a function <strong>of</strong> calling duration per day
and number <strong>of</strong> calls per day were experienced.
No survey study has dealth with the effects <strong>of</strong> long term ( 1-4 years and above) use <strong>of</strong> cellular
phones to date. This is the main goal <strong>of</strong> this study in which a survey study, using
questionnaire, was conducted in 695 people living in a city in Turkey, where these phones are
extensively used, to detect the possible neural symptoms and sensations experienced by the
long term users <strong>of</strong> mobile phones in order to light the way <strong>of</strong> further studies.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1. Questionnaire
Questionnaire used in this study was composed <strong>of</strong> two sections. In the first section, general
questions were asked to individuals to learn about their general health, use <strong>of</strong> mobile phone
and physical environment to prevent miss leading positives. In the second section questions
were asked to directly detect the effects <strong>of</strong> long term use <strong>of</strong> mobile phone on each individual’s
health.
In the survey, questions were asked to investigate the following symptoms and sensations;
headache, dizziness, extreme irritation, shaking in the hands, speaking falteringly, neuropsychological
discomfort, increase in the carelessness, forgetfulness, decrease <strong>of</strong> the reflex,
clicking sound in the ears, obscuration <strong>of</strong> vision, redness on the eyes, vision disorders, crust
round the eyes, inflammation in the eyes and water round the eyes.
If an individual gave positive answer to the questions about any above symptoms and
sensations, some extra questions were also asked to detect the beginning <strong>of</strong> the symptoms and
sensations. Otherwise the statistical results yielded would be meaningless, unless person has
not the symptoms and sensations after he has started to use mobile phone.
2.2 Study Population
<strong>The</strong> study group was consist <strong>of</strong> 193 female and 503 male randomly selected from different
ages, educations, earnings, locations and occupations in Elazig which is located in the east
part <strong>of</strong> Turkey. Total number <strong>of</strong> attendant was 695. For simplicity, from now the person
who has got a mobile phone and the person who has not got any mobile phone will be named
as “mobile phone user” and “non-mobile phone user” respectively.
Among female, 157 women were mobile phone users whereas 36 were non-mobile phone
users. 502 male attendant were consist <strong>of</strong> 392 mobile phone users and 110 non-mobile phone
users. Although individuals were selected randomly around 80% <strong>of</strong> people were mobile phone
users. This shows that mobile phone usage is very much common in the selected region and
the results yielded from the survey could be valuable.
Since the aim <strong>of</strong> this survey is to investigate the possible symptoms and sensations
experienced by long term usage, attendants were grouped according to time <strong>of</strong> mobile phone
possessions. Time <strong>of</strong> possessions were divided into four sub-groups. <strong>The</strong>se are one, two,
three, four and above years respectively. Acoording to data obtained almost 60% <strong>of</strong> female
have owned their mobile phone for the last two years whereas more then 30% <strong>of</strong> male have
been carrying their MP for at least four years.
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3. CONCLUSION
As result <strong>of</strong> the survey, there were no evidence that the use <strong>of</strong> mobile phone may cause
dizziness, shaking in hands, speaking falteringly, neuro-psychological discomfort, redness on
the eyes and vision disorders. <strong>The</strong>se results support (Hietanen et al., 2002; Koivisto et al.,
2001) for dizziness and (Hietanen et al., 2002; Cook et al., 2002) for neuro-psychological
discomfort. Unfortunately there are nothing available in the literature for the rest <strong>of</strong> the above
symptoms and sensations
<strong>The</strong> use <strong>of</strong> mobile phone may cause headache, forgetfulness, increase in the carelessness,
decrease <strong>of</strong> the reflex and clicking sound in the ears as a results <strong>of</strong> our data. Above results
contradicts to (Hietanen et al., 2002; Koivisto et al., 2001) for headache, forgetfulness,
clicking sound in the ears. Again there is no paper available to compare with for the rest <strong>of</strong> the
symptoms and sensations. <strong>The</strong>re were no statistical evidence that long term usage might
increase above symptoms and sensations.
<strong>The</strong> use <strong>of</strong> mobile phone may water round the eyes as a results <strong>of</strong> our data. In addition
talking with mobile phone for longer period may increase. No published date available in the
literature about water round the eyes.
<strong>The</strong> use <strong>of</strong> mobile phone could cause extreme irritation and long term usage could further
increase it. Since there are no publications dealing with long term usage <strong>of</strong> mobile phones,
further experimental studies will be <strong>of</strong>f great value.
Finally there were some evidence that the use <strong>of</strong> mobile phone may trigger obscuration <strong>of</strong>
vision, crust round the eyes and inflammation in the eyes and water round the eyes. Likely no
evidence that the more the mobile phone users talk the more they get the above two
symptoms. No published journals concerning above three symptoms are available either.
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2004 URSI EMTS
International Symposium on Electromagnetic <strong>The</strong>ory
Symposium website